Mily Balakirev, founder and driving force of the celebrated "Mighty Handful," spared no effort in his devotion to his followers, and thus left only a relatively modest number of works of his own. The piano occupies a preponderant place in his output, with the Russian style rubbing shoulders with influences of Chopin and Liszt. Although Islamey is quite well-known, other pieces deserve to be rediscovered. Mirare artist Etsuko Hirose is featured in this program that includes the Toccata, Sonata, and Variations on themes by Glinka, the "Father of Russian music," who saw Balakirev as a worthy successor.

American Record Guide, November/December 2012I would get this just for the sonata, but the other pieces are just as good. If you have room for only one CD of Balakirev's piano music, this is the one to have.